Intertwined Destinies
by Pepper1622
Summary: The Pokemon world is a wreck. Pokemon are only given to people who serve Ghetsis, the ruler of the devasted world. An orphaned teen finds himself caught up in the secret dealings of the exiled Pokedex Holders, which leads to a journey with their kids to make things right. Pokespe next generation. Rated T for language and violence. Rating may change.
1. Everyone Starts Somewhere

**A/N: Hi guys! This is my first Pokemon fanfic, and I guess I'm jumping in pretty deep. It's about the Pokedex Holder's kids, which includes my OCs! I worked pretty hard on this, I push myself way too hard...anyways, if you don't agree with the shippings, please don't ignore the story, it's not about the parents, it's about the kids! **

**Now, I know this story looks like a beast, it's only the first chapter and it's already pretty long! Trust me, it's not a hard story to read, it may look intimidating, but it really isn't. The story will juggle between Lyle's point of view and then a general point of view, but mostly it'll just be Lyle's. So, I hope you enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer: I will never own Pokemon, no matter how hard I dream...**

* * *

_**Lyle's POV**_

Of all the things in life that annoyed me, cliché stories made the top of the list. There was something about the pure predictability of the over-used movie and/or book plot that just made me angry. I've been forced to watch a number of corny films, mostly by desperate caretakers or excited children, and every time they've been awful. The farther you get into the film, you start to guess what's going to happen. I myself admittedly would get my hopes up, thinking that maybe each movie would be different. But it never was. The sheer predictability of it all bored me to a pulp. Now, I'm not saying that all movies are exactly the same, on the contrary, there are parts of all movies and books that you wouldn't expect, but I suppose that's what makes the story original. Me, I just wanted a simple life, one that wasn't boringly cliché. I wanted a life where nothing special happened, one where I could just go through a casual day without worrying about the things heroes and heroines deal with on a regular basis. Those words don't even sound true written down. I wanted excitement, and while predictability annoyed me, I supposed it wasn't bad if everything was an adventure. Most people don't get the chance to be the predictable hero/heroine, and out of all the people destiny could've chosen, it chose me. And if this story makes me the predictable hero, then I'm proud to be the one who bores adolescent teenage boys to death. The cliché story that I lived out was the best thing that ever happened to me, and for once there was a movie that I didn't mind watching. It was mine.

So, I should start off by giving you a summary of myself and the condition of the Pokémon world at the time the story takes place. I'll "kick this off" by telling about myself, because I am my own expert, and who better to describe the protagonist than himself? As long as I can remember, I have been an orphan. Nothing was known about my parents, just that something was keeping them from having me for a son. I tried not to judge them, they could have had a good reason, but bad thoughts always crept into my mind. I was haunted with dreams and thoughts of my parents being killed tragically, giving me up because they were a scared young couple who had me by accident, or maybe just saying, "We don't want this boy, he isn't good enough." Every option stung my heart; I wanted to believe they had a good reason for tossing me into a life of loneliness and longing, but very few reasonable options came to mind.

Anyways, as for my orphan life, I was just your average orphan. I didn't bring attention to myself, I didn't invent crazy machines; I was a normal kid. Growing up in an orphanage was not fun, but you get used to it. I eventually realized that feeling sorry for myself would get me nowhere, and that helping the younger kids gave me more fulfillment. I've always had a soft spot for kids, mainly because I was alone when I was one, and it's nice to know that someone older than you cares when you have no parents. As for the ladies that worked at the orphanage, some were kind, some were not. I treated the kind ones with respect, but the bad ones I would pick fights with. I spent many nights punished in my room, not that it mattered, my life couldn't get much worse. Laying in bed and dreaming about having fun and adventures made my time a little bit more worthwhile.

As for my appearance, I guess I 'm not bad-looking. I'm pretty tall, around 6'0'', and my skin is very pale. I have shaggy light-brown hair, which could be considered long, I've been mistaken for a girl by older people before. My eyes are strange, they're a dark blue-green, so dark that they appear gray at first glance. I didn't have many things I could call proper clothes, but my favorite outfit of the time was a black polo shirt, dark-blue jeans, gray sneakers, and black fingerless gloves that had gray wrist attachments on the ends. Of my outfit, there were three things that I regarded as special: My navy-blue backpack that came in much handy, my favorite black and blue cap that I always wore backwards, and especially my silver dog tag-resembling necklace. I was given to the orphanage with the necklace, so it meant a lot to me to know that I had a keepsake. There weren't any markings on it except for the letter Z, placed vertically on the necklace. I wasn't the most fashionable guy around, but every once in a while a girl would give me goo-goo eyes.

Of all the things that interest the reader, I suppose that the state of the Pokémon world would be the most interesting. Well, things weren't good. A ruthless man who called himself "Ghetsis" managed to somehow enslave the world's Pokémon and have the regions completely at his mercy. We were allowed technology and living supplies, but at a tragic expense: he would keep all of the Pokémon. With all of the Pokémon, he was invincible. They were his slaves and means of entertainment, nothing more to him than pawns of his own game. Ghetsis resided where the Elite Four of the Unova Region used to be, and that was the richest part of the world. You see, upon taking most of the world's Pokémon, Ghetsis gave the people a choice: submit to him and live in his paradise, or be left without your Pokémon friends. Many refused to submit, while others didn't. Most of the Gym Leaders and Elite Fours refused, but there was a select few that went along with his plan. No one was sure of why some betrayed the people, maybe out of stupidity, maybe for good reasons, not that any were apparent. I knew that I didn't like Ghetsis, any man who took Pokémon away from people could not be forgiven. I remembered Pokémon from the orphanage; they would play with the kids and help with the chores. I liked them, but I hated Ghetsis.

At the time the beginning of the story takes place, I was in the Kanto region. The orphanage was in Viridian City; that day the caretakers decided to go on a "field trip" to Pewter City to see the museum that Ghetsis had refurbished to turn it into a museum about his conquest of the Pokémon world and his "dark past". I wasn't thrilled to go there, it was basically a place to remind us that we would never be free of his rule, but it's not like I had a choice. We were given some free time to explore the city, so I was walking around the city, hoping to find some means of entertainment.

I'd read enough books to know what Pewter City used to be like, but this place was nothing like it. The cobblestone streets were worn and rugged, the houses were cracked with paint peeling off, and there were no Pokémon around. I hated what had become of this world, and I hated how one man managed to ruin it.

Pewter City wasn't the biggest city, but I still found it difficult to navigate; I had never been there before. There wasn't much that I was dying to see, the city was practically empty, but I eventually came across the building I was looking for: the Gym. Back in the better days, people used to bring their Pokémon to the Gym to challenge it's leader to a Pokémon battle. Looking the Gym over, I was sad to realize that it was just as broken down as the rest of the buildings. I pinched a bit of rust on the side of the Gym, letting it crumble in my fingers. I was about to turn around in defeat when I noticed a small sign. I bent down to read it, and it said: _Pewter City Gym, Leader: Brock, "The Rock-Solid Pokémon Trainer"_. From the research I had done, I knew that Brock was one of the Gym Leaders that refused to submit to Ghetsis, so I found immediate respect for him and his used-to-be city. The books I had read told me that he was a rock-type Gym Leader, which means most or all of his Pokémon were rock-type.

Not much time had passed, but the Gym was not much to see, so I left it alone to explore the town. I found myself at a small market area, probably the only place the people could shop. The small wooden stands held the usual market goods: berries, living supplies, small toys. Nothing that I needed; the orphanage took care of my needs.

I was about to leave when a little girl stopped me. I almost stumbled over her, but I caught myself before I could fall.

"Mister," she started, "do you have any food?"

I blinked nervously. The little girl was insanely cute, like a little Teddiursa. She was obviously a street girl, she wasn't dressed fancily and she had dirt on her face. The girl's bushy jet-black hair poked out of her orange-tan straw hat in a ponytail, the rest of her hair curled around her face. She blinked her big chocolate-brown eyes at me, and when I looked closer, I realized that they had streaks of yellow going through them, like lightning. Her outfit was pitiful: a worn brown t-shirt, an orange tunic, faded blue sweatpants that were rolled up, and black boots with brown at the top. A dark-gray belt with a pouch attached was her means of carrying things, and there was a small gold-colored bracelet on her wrist. The poor girl couldn't have been older than six. I immediately felt sorry for her, I had a soft spot for children.

"No, I don't," I said. "They're selling berries in the market, if you find some money you can-"

With amazing speed, the girl reached up and ripped my necklace off of my chest. I stood there, stunned, giving the girl enough time to get a good head start away from me. After comprehending what had happened, I took off through the market.

"Stop! Give that back!" I screamed, expertly dodging people and stands. Sadly, the girl was even better, her small height allowed her to nimbly weave through the market. The pain of what was on the line started to sink in. That necklace was the only connection I had of my family.

I ran for a long time, but I knew that I was pushing my luck. The little thief was nowhere in sight, it was hopeless of me to search for a target that I couldn't see. Tears began to sting my eyes, the anger of being weak filled my heart. I put my hands in my face, hoping to stop the tears. I managed to prolong any drops, but my eyes reddened. My only family heirloom was gone, and I still couldn't find myself to be mad at the girl. She didn't know what she had taken. Of course, I was furious at what she had done, and I was angry at myself for thinking a girl with a gold bracelet was anything but a thief. I was about to turn around and go back to the Gym, the only isolated spot in the city, when one of the caretakers from the orphanage called my name.

"Lyle? Lyle!" she called. Oh yes, I forgot to mention, my name is Lyle, but you just found that out.

I followed the familiar voice, where it led me to the museum. The voice belonged to Miss Shirley, one of the kind caretakers. Miss Shirley was a sweet lady, she was fairly chubby with short auburn hair, and she almost always had a smile on her face. At that time, she did not.

"Lyle, where were you? The tour is about to start," she said, tapping her foot. The tour wasn't that important to me, my necklace was my main concern.

"I'm sorry Miss Shirley, but this little girl stole my necklace, we need to go look for her-"

Miss Shirley sighed. "Lyle honey, I know that necklace means a lot to you, but we really need to begin the tour." I knew better than to argue, so I hung my head and shoved my hands miserably into my pockets. Miss Shirley bit her lip; my pitiful demeanor was getting to her.

"Tell you what, we'll report it to the guards, and maybe they can track her down? How does that sound?" she asked.

"I guess that's okay," I grumbled. I was not thrilled to have the guards help with anything, they worked for Ghetsis.

"That'll have to suffice for now, Lyle. And you're seventeen, that's too old to be pouting," she said, patting my shoulder.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, trudging into the museum to join the other kids. I knew that I was too old to pout, but part of me wanted to hold on to my youth. When I would turn eighteen, the orphanage would have to let me go to live on my own. Part of me was excited, but the other part was scared. Living alone was a big step, and it would be hard for me to get a job to sustain myself anywhere in this state of the world.

Pushing my way into the museum, I was surprised to see that it was fairly crowded. Apparently lots of schools had the same idea the orphanage had. I had to fight my way to my group; it was getting harder and harder to navigate through the sea of people. I began shoving, and eventually I broke free of the crowd. I thought that everything was clear, so I sprinted up to my group. Before I knew it, there was a boy walking in my way. There was no way we both could have stopped, so we collided. We knocked heads, then fell to the ground simultaneously. My first concern was that the group had left, but that soon was a thing of the past as I remembered the boy I had hit.

"I'm so sorry, you okay man?" I asked, giving him a hand to help him up. He raised his head, and much to my surprise, he smiled.

"I'm okay, thanks for asking! You?" he replied, taking my hand. We pulled each other up and stared at each other, a cautious act that people those days did a lot.

The boy looked around my age, maybe an inch or two shorter, but with the same muscular build. He had a mop of blond hair, which couldn't be concealed with his orange and black cap. His eyes were big for a boy's, and they glowed red. Normally this would've been startling, but it somehow worked on him. His clothes were much better than mine: a black t-shirt, a gray vest with an orange stripe, and a sleeveless coat in the same gray and orange colors with a white collar. His jeans were baggy and light blue, his shoes were black and orange with white at the toes. Like me, he had a backpack and gloves, but his gloves were black with orange wrist attachments, and his backpack was a light gray. I supposed he was a good-looking kid; he reminded me of a guy that would be popular with the ladies.

"I'm fine…" I said, still keeping my cautious demeanor. The boy's face eased a bit. He suddenly looked very comfortable talking with me, as if he had already done a background check that had proved my innocence.

"I'm Orange!" he said cheerfully, grabbing my hand for a shake.

"Lyle," I muttered, shaking back. Orange wasn't a common name, but who was I to judge?

"So, what're you doing here?" Orange asked, putting his hands on the back of his head in an easygoing manner.

"My orphanage is on a fieldtrip," I mumbled. "What about you?"

"Well," he said sheepishly, "I kinda lost my little sister earlier today, so I was checking the museum in case she came here."

I raised my eyebrows. "You're looking for your younger sister in a museum? Wouldn't this be the last place a kid would want to go?"

He scrunched his face together, thinking. "I guess you're right, she's only six…" I found myself rolling my eyes, he didn't seem like the most intelligent boy. I didn't know it, but he would eventually prove me wrong.

"So, an orphanage, huh?" Orange questioned.

"Yeah," I replied, casually stalking over to my group.

"Cool, cool," Orange said.

"What about you?" I asked, curious about this kid's life. For the remainder of the tour, Orange talked me up. He told me that he was sixteen, that he lived near Pallet Town, and he knew a lot about our world's history. Orange knew everything about everything; it was amazing. There wasn't a piece of history recorded in that museum that stumped Orange.

The tour flew by with Orange's company, leaving me a bit disappointed when it was over; I'd have to part ways with him. I finally felt like I had made a friend, but nothing good ever lasted long for me. Miss Shirley announced that we had a little bit of free time to explore the rest of the exhibits, giving me time to bid Orange an appropriate farewell. But as fate had it, I wouldn't be able to get rid of Orange any time soon.

"So, how'd you like the museum? I know it's pretty bad, being about that bastard Ghetsis, but there are some interesting things here," Orange asked, giving me a wink when he made his Ghetsis comment.

"It's actually pretty cool, thanks for giving me my own private tour," I responded, smiling at the boy.

Orange smiled back. "Is there anything else you want to see? There's some pretty cool exhibits about the people who fought Ghetsis."

I was about to respond when my eyes caught a sign. It read "Pokédex Holders". My interest immediately sparked up. Those Pokédex Holders were huge in our world's history. They were just ordinary kids, selected by the professors of each region to use a Pokédex, a device that can identify and give information on all Pokémon. The kids had gotten into loads of trouble, and had even saved the world numerous times. I admired them a lot, but I didn't know much about where they were. I started off in the direction of the exhibit.

"Where are you going?" Orange asked, excitedly bounding after me.

"The Pokédex Holders section," I said, eager to get there. Orange gave me a look of horror.

"You don't wanna go there, it's seriously boring!" Orange basically shouted. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, I do, so are you coming or not?" I asked. He shook his head.

"You're pretty stubborn. Fine, I'll come with you, but just in case you get into trouble," he grumbled. I smirked, I loved winning arguments.

We walked into the exhibit. Orange blandly pointed out some facts about the different types of Pokédexes, but it was obvious he didn't care that much. I thought he was crazy, anybody who wasn't into the Pokédex Holders must be fooling themselves. Finally, I found what I was looking for: the book recording the Holders themselves. There was a slideshow of pictures of them, mostly getting beaten, not much was shown of their victories. I sighed to myself about Ghetsis' arrogance. I walked up to the book, and began to read about the Holders.

First shown was Green Oak, a good looking young man with spiky caramel-brown hair and green eyes. He was married to a woman named Blue, a very beautiful girl sporting brown hair and big blue eyes. They were both from the Kanto Region, the place we were in now. Next was the Holders from Johto. There was Gold, a mischievous-looking guy with messy black hair and fierce gold eyes. A lady named Soul was his wife, she had straight brown hair pulled into pigtails with big brown eyes. Then came Silver, a man with long dark-red hair and silver eyes. His wife was Crystal, a woman with dark-blue hair pulled into jagged-looking pigtails and crystal-blue eyes. The next region was Hoenn. The first was Ruby, a man with black hair covered by a white hat, and dark ruby-red eyes. His wife was Sapphire, a pretty girl with light-brown hair pulled into a bun in back, with her bangs hanging around her face, sporting dark sapphire-blue eyes. There were two unmarried DexHolders in Hoenn: Wally, a pale sickly-looking man with messy green hair and sky-blue eyes. The other was Emerald, a short guy with strawberry-blonde hair gelled up high, and emerald-green eyes. The Sinnoh region came next. There was a man named Diamond, who sported short black hair and big blue eyes. He was married to Platinum Berlitz, a regal-looking lady with dark-purplish hair and silvery-gold eyes. Next was Pearl, a guy with messy blonde hair and dark orange eyes. His wife was a woman named Marley, a Gothic Lolita type girl with short black hair and dark blue eyes. The last region that sparked my interest was the Unova region. The first was Black, a man with shaggy brown hair and brown eyes. His wife was White, a pretty girl with a long dark-brown ponytail and blue eyes. The last couple was a man named Cheren, a guy with slick somewhat shaggy black hair and dark blue eyes, and his wife Bianca, a girl with a bob of short blonde hair and big green eyes. At the bottom of the pages, it stated: "Soul, Wally, Marley, White, Cheren, and Bianca were not considered official Dexholders, but their relations to the Holders earned them spots in this museum."

"That is so cool…" I murmured.

"Yep, it's cool," Orange growled, "now can we please leave?"

As I was closing the book, I realized something interesting. I had missed the first page. As I went back to the book, I noticed Orange face-palming. I didn't care, this interested me more than I cared about Orange's company. Upon opening the page, I was met with probably the most powerful Dexholder ever. Red. A man with a mop of black hair, mysterious red eyes, and a look of pure triumph. Next to him was a woman named Amarillo del Bosque Verde, which translated means Yellow of Viridian Grove. Yellow was a pretty girl with a long blonde ponytail, and her eyes were intriguing, chocolate brown, but flecked with yellow lightning-like streaks. I knew I had seen someone like that girl before, but I couldn't place my finger on it. At the bottom, I read that Red and Yellow's relationship was uncertain; many suspected that they never had a relationship.

"Well, you saw Red, the biggest traitor of them all, so can we get out of here?" Orange demanded. His words sparked my interest.

"What do you mean, how is he a traitor?" I asked.

"He was the only one to submit to Ghetsis. He basically betrayed his friends, just so he could live in a stupid paradise." Orange clenched his fists. I didn't blame him for being so mad at this guy, it was pretty disheartening to hear that that amazing man had submitted to the enemy. Soon, more questions crossed my mind.

"Where are the others?" I asked.

"No one knows. They just vanished. All I know is that they probably survived, and are hiding and fighting in safety, okay?" Orange replied. His body language was different now, he wasn't looking me in the eyes, and he was shuffling his feet.

"Okay, if you say so…" I mumbled.

"Lyle, we need to leave!" Orange hissed. I was about to ask why when he nodded his head in the direction of the archway we came in through. A man with orange hair walked in, clad in a black suit with the letter P on it. A Team Plasma grunt, one of Ghetsis' servants.

"What are you twerps looking at?" the grunt spat, giving us an ugly smirk. Orange and I steadied ourselves; it never hurt to be cautious around the grunts.

"We were just leaving," I muttered, motioning for Orange to come with me. He didn't look happy, but he cooperated. As we were exiting, the grunt glanced at the book page with Red and Yellow on it. He chuckled.

"I see you were checking out that sad excuse of a couple. That Red, he had some sense, joining Ghetsis. But everyone knows that little runt wasn't his partner," the grunt taunted, occasionally flicking the page with his finger. Orange stopped walking and clenched his fists harder.

"That 'Yellow' chick was nothing but a little hoe who didn't know what was good for her. She probably rotted away a long time ago, not that anybody cared," he added, smiling evilly.

Orange couldn't take it. In one swift move, he jumped the grunt. Swinging his fist, he punched the grunt right in the nose. But he didn't stop there. Orange pinned him onto the ground, then continued to punch his face. I was stunned; I didn't expect Orange to get so mad. With each punch, the grunt howled louder, and soon his nose was gushing blood. Orange's hands were covered in the grunt's blood, but Orange made no intention to stop. I finally came to my senses and pounced at Orange, knocking him off of the grunt.

"What the hell did you do that for?" I screamed, pinning Orange to the wall.

"He insulted Yellow…" Orange whispered. I didn't understand why Orange had acted like he couldn't care less about the Dexholders, but when one was insulted, he went berserk. It didn't add up.

"Yeah, he did…dude, you're getting blood on me!" I shouted, realizing the grunt's blood was now covering my hands as well as Orange's.

"Oh, sorry…" he mumbled. We attempted to wipe the blood off of ourselves, having no such luck. I glanced at the now unconscious grunt on the ground. That wouldn't make us look good.

"Orange, now we really need to leave," I said, already heading for the exit. Orange nodded in agreement. We didn't have time to even escape when we were swarmed by a horde of grunts. They had heard the commotion, and now they could see the bloody grunt on the ground. The leader took one look at our bloody hands and knew who the culprits were. He shifted his gaze to Orange, and a strange look of recognition filled his face.

"You!" he screamed. Orange smirked.

"Hey, it's been a while, how's the family?" Orange taunted. The grunt growled in anger.

"Arrest them!"

Orange grabbed my wrist and pulled me away. He expertly helped me dodge the grunts, and soon we were on our way out of the museum. I expected Orange to find a place to hide, maybe in an alley, but he kept on running.

"Where are we going?" I asked, panting lightly.

"We're going to my home!" Orange said cheerfully. I remembered him saying that he lived near Pallet Town, so I assumed that that was our destination.

"How do you know that grunt?" I questioned again.

"I've gotten into trouble with him before, nothing big," Orange panted. I decided to cut the small talk until we got to his house. Glancing at the sky, I realized that the sun was setting awfully fast; nighttime would be coming soon. We then exited Pewter and made our way into Viridian Forest. After weaving our way through the forest, which Orange knew like the back of his hand, we arrived at Viridian City. I almost expected him to drop me off at the orphanage, but he didn't. We ran through the streets, and up ahead was the pathway that led to Route 22. I prepared myself to keep running forward to get to Pallet Town, but Orange yanked me down that road.

"I thought you lived near Pallet Town?" I asked, a bit agitated. Orange smirked.

"I live _somewhat_ near it…" he said, quickening his pace. I rolled my eyes. Behind us, I could hear some grunts shuffling after us. I didn't think that they'd catch up. It became clear why Orange wanted to go to his home; it was his only safe place.

We ran along the jagged hills of Route 22, every second I was thanking Arceus that I was in good shape, or that run would've been torture. Finally, we got to the gate where the entrance to Victory Road used to be. There was maximum security in the gate, which lead me to be fearful for what we would do. The guards/grunts would have been notified of our crime, and I was not looking forward to meeting more. Orange placed his index finger on his lips, then motioned for me to follow him. We weaved through the trees on the outside of the gate, which led us onto another path: Route 28, which led to Mt. Silver.

"You're not telling me you live on Mt. Silver?" I hissed.

"Nope, I live _in _it," Orange replied. I was surprised at this, but continued to run with him. Finally, we made it to the entrance of the cave. We hustled inside, Orange in the lead. The cave had a somewhat calm presence about it; I found the gray cave walls dripping with clear water to be quite pretty. In front of us was a jagged wall, someplace that only with a Pokémon's aid could you climb it. To our left was a medium sized waterfall that poured into a small pool of water. Orange tapped his foot in an annoyed manner.

"Where is she?" he asked himself.

"Where is who?" I asked, curious.

"Peridot, the guide to my 'village'. You need two people to get in, so she's always there," he replied.

"But isn't there two of us?" I questioned, trying not to laugh. Orange froze.

"Oh yeah, you're right…" Orange murmured sheepishly. Just then, the sound of footsteps approaching shocked us. A girl emerged from somewhere in the cave, it was almost as if she just appeared there. I found myself studying her intently. She had long wavy caramel-brown hair, loosely falling around her shoulders. Her eyes were an intense blue-green, and her tan was perfect. She had on a green one-piece swimsuit, and her face had a sly smirk.

"It's about time, Orange! Topaz got here a half hour ago! I was about to leave you-" she paused, noticing me. "Who is this?"

"This is Lyle, an orphan that I met in the Pewter City museum. Now can you please get us home?" Orange answered, tapping his foot impatiently. Peridot studied me, then noticed the blood on our gloved hands.

"What happened to you guys?" she asked frantically.

"We got into a fight with some grunts," I muttered. Peridot gave us looks of horror, making me feel guilty.

"Peridot," Orange started, getting close to her, "one of them insulted Yellow." Peridot's eyes widened, then she shook her head.

"I totally understand. Now let's get you two back home before they catch us," Peridot said. Orange started stripping, which worried me, but my horror was eased when I saw his swim trunks underneath his pants.

"You'll have to get your clothes wet, sorry," Peridot informed me, shrugging. I honestly didn't care, besides, I wasn't going to strip in front of this girl.

"So, Peridot, right? That's a cool name," I started, attempting to make small talk. Peridot gave me a small smile.

"Yeah. My mom has a thing for gems and stones, so she gave my brother, sister, and I names of some of her favorites," Peridot replied.

"Are you guys ready?" Orange asked, raising his eyebrows at us.

"Yes, we're ready," Peridot answered, rolling her eyes at him. She motioned for us to follow her. I sank myself into the water, the cold temperature shocked me as it touched my body. I soon got used to it and followed Orange and Peridot. They sank underwater, so I cautiously did the same. Once under, Orange moved a big boulder aside. Peridot swam under and ushered me to do the same. As I passed under, I felt a bit of the waterfall's power above me. Peridot grabbed the boulder from Orange, who was struggling. I helped her hold it, giving Orange enough time to make his way under. Quickly, we all surfaced.

I was met with the most intriguing sight I had ever seen. Inside the secret cave was a little village. Large tents were set up all around, and I noticed furniture in them, like regular houses. People were wandering around quietly, getting night preparations ready. I noticed some kids around my age walking around, boys in t-shirts and shorts, girls in tank tops and short-shorts. The place was strangely beautiful, it was an old fashioned town hidden in the mountain.

"Welcome home!" a wet Orange announced. Before anything else could be done, a girl's voice was heard shouting at us.

"Peridot and Orange, where were you? You took _forever _to get home, it's nighttime!" the voice screamed. I could sense that it was more a teasing shout than a scold. Finally the girl came into view, and I was stunned speechless. The girl was insanely attractive, in her tight dark-green tank top and neon-green short-shorts. Her hair was a long brown, with the perfect curl to it. Her eyes were a pretty green, and her skin was somewhat pale. She had a stunning quality to her; I had never seen a girl so beautifully confident. Peridot seemed annoyed at the way I was staring at her, I wondered if people did that a lot. When the girl's eyes met me, she looked me up and down, then smiled. We locked eyes, and I was instantly nervous. She smiled flirtatiously at me, causing my stomach to form knots.

"And who is this?" she asked, not breaking eye contact. I wanted to look away, she started to be a bit intimidating.

"Jade, this is Lyle. Lyle, this is my twin sister Jade," Peridot said with a sigh. At the word "twin" I broke out of my trance.

"Wait, you're _twins_?" I asked, not even trying to hide my surprise. Peridot rolled her eyes and stood next to Jade. I looked at both of them, and I guessed they did have similar facial features and body shapes, but it was just bizarre. Peridot noticed my face and smirked.

"We're _fraternal_ twins, if that helps," Peridot said, giggling with Jade. I nodded, intrigued by these two girls.

"Anyways," Orange interrupted, "we should probably tell Jade about the fight we had with the grunt."

"You had another fight?" Jade shrieked, grabbing towels for us.

"Yep!" Orange laughed, recalling the details for the girls. I was wondering how much Orange would stretch the truth when something caught my eye. Near one of the tents was that little girl, the one who had stolen my necklace. She looked like she had just finished talking to someone, and she was heading somewhere else. My necklace was clenched in her small fist; I was determined to get it back. Without notifying Orange and the twins, I took off after the girl. She went into one of the bigger tents, so I followed her and spied outside of the archway. She went up to a woman who was sitting on a bed. The girl handed the necklace to who I assumed was her mother.

"What is this? A necklace?" the woman asked. The girl nodded.

"I found it for you," the girl said in her soft, sweet voice. That's when I decided to randomly barge in.

"Excuse me, ma'am, that's my necklace, your daughter stole it from me," I stated, my eyes intently on the necklace.

"Is that so?" the woman questioned. "Topaz, did you steal this necklace from this boy?" Topaz hung her head and nodded. The woman gave her a stern look.

"I do not approve of stealing, now give this necklace back to this boy and apologize!" Topaz gave the necklace to me, staring sadly at the ground.

"I'm sorry, mister," she said.

"It's okay, I forgive you," I whispered. Topaz smiled and hugged me. I blushed a bit, and patted her on the head.

"That's an interesting necklace, do you mind if I have a look? I won't steal it, promise," the woman teased. I nodded and handed her the necklace, to which she knit her eyebrows at the sight of. While she studied the necklace, I studied her. She looked scarily familiar; her hair was long, blonde, and pulled into a ponytail. Her big eyes were a chocolate-brown with yellow lightning-like streaks. She was petite, she was wearing a tunic, and there was a straw hat at her side. My stomach got a sick feel to it. I knew this woman. I had seen her at the museum. She was Amarillo del Bosque Verde. Yellow of Viridian Grove, the fourth Dexholder from Kanto.

"Hmm, I thought I recognized it, but it's not what I thought," the woman I expected to be Yellow said. Before I could question her further, Orange entered.

"Jeez Lyle, you could've let me know if you wanted a tour!" Orange shouted. Topaz squealed and ran to him.

"Orange!" she giggled. He picked her up and spun her around.

"Hey Topaz! Get in any trouble today?" Orange teased.

"I stole Lyle's necklace," she informed him.

"Well, as long as he got it back!" he said happily. I found myself rolling my eyes with Yellow. Orange went over to her and kissed her cheek. It was that moment, before he uttered any words, that I knew who Orange truly was.

"Hey, Mom," Orange murmured. It all made sense to me. If Yellow was his mom, what mixes with Yellow to make Orange? Red.

"Red and Yellow are your parents, aren't they? And Topaz is your sister?" I asked. Orange nodded slowly. Yellow looked at her hands.

"Yes, Red was my husband," Yellow whispered.

"What happened?" I questioned.

"He chose paradise over his friends and family, that's what happened!" Orange spat. I decided to drop the subject; it seemed to make Orange angry and Yellow sad.

"Wait a minute," I started. "This is where the Pokédex Holders and their kids have been hiding, right?" Orange's smile returned.

"Correct! Also living here are close friends and their kids, some old people, and the adults' Pokémon!" That phrase surprised me.

"There are Pokémon here?" I gasped. Yellow nodded.

"None of us Dexholders or our friends would give up our Pokémon, so they live here with us. They are in their Poké Balls now," Yellow informed me.

"That's amazing…" I murmured. Orange caught sight of my necklace in Yellow's hands.

"Is that his necklace? Whoa, it looks like-"

"It's not," Yellow interrupted. Orange seemed to get some kind of message, and I didn't like the fact that they seemed to be hiding something from me.

"O-oh, whoops, you're right!" Orange laughed. I took the necklace back from Yellow and put it back around my neck.

"Well Lyle," Yellow started, "you are more than welcome to spend the night here. I assume you came here with Orange for protection. You may stay as long as you'd like."

"Thank you, ma'am," I said, forgetting all about the orphanage. Before I knew it, Orange and I were sound asleep in his little tent, and I finally felt accepted somewhere. If only I could've had a full night's sleep…

* * *

In the middle of the night, I was awoken by Orange, who was shaking me violently.

"What is it?" I asked groggily.

"I'll explain in a minute, come with me!" he replied, dragging me up. He pulled me outside of the tent, and I was met with a crowd of people. Everyone looked tired, but alert. Peridot and Jade met up with us, so we went to the edge of the crowd.

"Okay," Orange began to explain, "once a month, one of the previous Dexholders goes to a supplier where he gets food, money, and supplies for us. He's returning tonight, which is why we're all here to greet him."

"Interesting," I murmured. "Hey, Peridot and Jade, who are your parents?" Peridot pointed in the direction of a man and woman towards the front of the crowd.

"Our parents are Green and Blue," she stated proudly. I immediately saw the resemblance the girls had to their parents.

"Our older brother Zircon should be around here somewhere…" Jade muttered. She unsuccessfully scanned the crowd, and after admitting defeat, she started to give me flirtatious smiles again. I stepped closer to Orange.

Soon, the crowd announced his arrival. Out of the water emerged a man with long dark-red hair, and when he raised his head, I noticed his silver eyes.

"That's Silver, isn't it?" I asked Orange.

"Yep," he whispered.

Silver was holding a sack, making him look like a creepy version of Santa. Exhausted, he laid the sack down to greet his friends and relatives. The first to hug him was Blue, his "sister from another mister", then Green clapped him on the back. A man who I recognized as Gold gave him a hug, as did Gold's wife, Soul. Two kids ran up to Silver, and he opened his arms and embraced them tightly. I assumed they were his children. Last but not least, the woman who I easily determined was Crystal went up to him and hugged him ferociously. He hugged back, and the two shared a quick kiss, to which the younger kids gagged at.

"So, whatcha got, Silv?" Gold asked.

"I got a good sum of money from my supplier, some food, the usual things. But he also had a gift for us Dexholders' kids," Silver said. The kids perked up, Orange looking especially giddy.

"Will the kids I'm referring to please meet around the council circle, where their gifts will be delivered to them," Silver announced. Crystal helped him to a spring, maybe so he could clean up a bit. Orange grabbed my arm.

"C'mon Lyle, you're coming too, you don't wanna miss this," Orange said.

"What's the gift?" I asked.

"No idea."

* * *

**A/N: If you made it through that, thanks for reading! I promise the next chapters won't be as long, believe me, you'll never guess how many pages it was on Microsoft Word...so I left it at a bit of a cliffhanger, but I think you'll be able to guess what the surprise is. And in the next chapter, the Holders' kids will be introduced, as well as the main plot! **

**So, reviews are always accepted, constructive criticisim, guesses as to what the surprise will be, it's all accepted and cherished! Thanks so much for reading the first chapter! ;D**


	2. An Unexpected Responsibility

**A/N: I finally updated! Yay! I worked pretty hard on this chapter too, it was pretty difficult to write, especially with introducing and describing the Dexholders' kids. Yes, it is a long chapter, but this should be the last beast. The first two chapters were just long because I had to introduce everybody.**

**Well, I hope you enjoy! I wonder how many people guessed what the gift was... )**

* * *

Orange and I sat around the council circle, trying not to let our curiosity win us over. I knew that the gift didn't include me, but it included Orange, and for that reason I wanted to be a supportive friend. Of course, I wished that I had been a child of a Pokédex Holder; I wanted something too. I had a suspicion of what the gift might be, something I wanted so desperately, something most people these days longed for. As fate had it, I couldn't have been more correct.

The council circle was just another part of the giant cave, a bit cut off from the living areas. It reminded me of a campfire: long, smooth stones for seats arranged in a circle, and a giant fire ring in the middle. For right now, the ring was covered, probably so people could walk on it. I assumed that Silver would be distributing the gifts from the middle, since the kids would undoubtedly be sitting on the stones.

As we waited for Silver to finish cleaning up, Orange told me about each of the Pokédex Holder's kids by revealing their parents, age, and names. I had already met Jade and Peridot, the twin daughters of Green and Blue, but Orange did tell me that they were sixteen. Next to them was their older brother, eighteen year old Zircon. Zircon had a different air about him than his seemingly easygoing sisters; he sat straight with a cold expression. His brown hair was messily spiked, but I could somehow tell that every adjacent strand was planned out thoughtfully, styled to perfection. His eyes, a hard blue tint, studied everything in such a way that if he would need a plan of escape or anything having to do with battle, he would be prepared. I found Zircon intimidating, but also the kind of guy that could really surprise you if you got to know him.

The next kid was nineteen year old Amber, the only child of Gold and Soul. Amber's brown hair was pulled into a long ponytail, which stuck out in various places; this lead me to believe that she was an active sleeper. Orange informed me that she was technically the oldest of the group, just beating Ruby and Sapphire's oldest son Garnet by a few months. Being the eldest, she made an effort to make me feel welcome by smiling at me from time to time, so I was met with her sharp gold eyes that sparkled with the insanity her father more than likely passed down to her. I found myself checking my stone seat for any "welcome to the group" pranks she might have pulled. Thankfully, there were none, but I wasn't letting my guard down.

Sitting beside Amber was Silver and Crystal's son, Granite, and their daughter, Marble. Granite was ten, but his firm posture indicated that he regarded himself higher than someone his age should. His hair was a shaggy dark blue, not as long as he would have liked it; Orange told me that Crystal forbade him from growing it to the same length of his father's. It was fairly obvious from the jagged edges and occasional knots that Granite tried as hard as he could to rebel against his mother's wishes, having not so great luck at imitating his father's long mane. I didn't realize why he needed his hair to match his father's, Granite still had Silver's cautious silver eyes and milky white skin. He was practically a little Silver with shorter blue hair.

Eight year old Marble, on the other hand, was the anti-Granite. She clung to her brother like glue, occasionally nodding off to sleep. Whenever Granite would shake her awake, she'd lazily examine her surroundings with her crystal-blue eyes, then nod off again. Her dark red hair was pulled into jagged pigtails to mimic her mother's, but they were lopsided, as if either she or Granite had done them. I tried to dismiss her drowsy demeanor as fatigue, given her young age and the time we were up, which I assumed was around 3:30 in the morning. It was hard for me to believe that a girl with parents as alert and intelligent as Silver and Crystal could be a drowsy airhead, and while that makes me sound harsh, it was a bit concerning. Orange bumped me on the shoulder and quickly informed me that Marble was most like her grandmother, who had more girlish charm than her daughter.

The next kids were the children of Ruby and Sapphire. I first examined Garnet, who was nineteen, just a handful of months younger than Amber. Garnet intrigued me in much the same way as Amber had; he seemed collected but mischievous. He sat with his arms crossed, carefully examining everything in the room, but mostly his dark red eyes were focused on me. I nervously waved, a bit sarcastically, and he gave me a smirk that sent my blood curdling. He seemed like a nice guy, but his messy light brown hair was cut unevenly, making me wonder if he had cut it himself. He also looked a bit dirty, there were occasional leaves in his hair, and mud on his face. I deducted that he was a wild child like his mother, also inheriting her fang-like teeth, so I decided to keep my distance, but still be fair as to my feelings of him.

Sitting beside her brother, playing with her hair with a bored expression, was fourteen year old Amethyst. She looked like a mini Sapphire, just more clean and polished. Her light brown hair was styled into the same bangs that her mother had, and I noticed that they were trimmed to perfection; I could barely spot a jagged edge. The rest of her hair was pulled into two tight buns high on the back of her head. I began wondering if she had fixed it when she woke up, or if she managed to keep them perfect in her sleep. Amethyst didn't look around very much, but occasionally she would lift her dark purple eyes to stare at a particular boy to my left: Orange. I kept glancing back and forth between them, finally deducting that Amethyst had a crush on my crazy new friend. Orange didn't seem to notice her intense gazes; he just kept explaining details about each kid for me. Amethyst finally noticed me staring at her, then blushed and hastily looked away. Amethyst seemed nice enough, and I somehow felt the urge to keep Orange away from other girls for her benefit.

The last of Ruby and Sapphire's kids was twelve year old Agate. Agate didn't seem like his mother or his father, more like the perfect mix. He had an eager demeanor, proven by the way he chatted with everyone in a friendly manner. His dark blue eyes shone with excitement and contentment, causing me to like the boy even more. He did inherit one quality specifically from his father, however, and that was a hat fetish. Agate's jet-black hair was hidden by a hat almost identical to Ruby's, except Agate's had a dark blue bandana with a gray top. I liked Agate; he seemed to be leveled out between wild and tame.

The next bunch of kids was the Sinnoh Dexholders' kids, starting with Opal. Opal was the eleven year old daughter of Diamond and Platinum, their eldest child. Opal looked to me to be a mini Platinum, she could have been identical to her mother had it not been for her hard blue eyes. She sat with the composure of a lady, her legs placed firmly together so as not to reveal her undergarments from beneath her nightgown. Her long dark purple hair was pulled into two ribbon-like loops that met towards the back of her head. Opal seemed to examine things with an air about her, turning her nose up at most of the sights. I had never read that either of her parents were arrogant, though Platinum was an heiress she never disrespected things. Opal struck me as a try-hard; I felt that she needed to lighten up.

Opal had a little brother, eight year old Quartz. Quartz was one of those kids that you liked the second you laid eyes on him. While Opal was a mini Platinum, Quartz was a mini Diamond. The boy sat comfortably on his stone, eating a small pastry that I couldn't identify. Orange informed me that it was a Pecha Puff, a new delicacy of Diamond's creation. Quartz smiled often, flaunting the sparkle in his silvery-gold eyes. He grinned brightly in my direction, giving me a friendly wave before going back to his puff. Opal smoothed the crumbs out of her brother's short black hair; I found it rather funny that the boy had managed to get the puff near his hair.

The last of the Sinnoh gang's kids was Pyrope, the fifteen year old son of Pearl and Marley. The boy had an Emo look about him, starting with the long bangs of his black hair that covered one of his eyes, leaving only one orange orb left to see. He sat with his arms crossed, face down. Whenever someone would chat with him, he'd slowly lift his head and stare at them, quietly giving an appropriate answer. I would've avoided the boy, but his friends seemed to really enjoy him. Pyrope seemed to be slow and depressed, but he surprised me by proving both of those options wrong. I noticed when the kids started joking around he would cut in with a witty comment that made everyone laugh. The other time, when Quartz dropped his Pecha Puff, Pyrope swooped in with extraordinary speed and caught the puff. Pyrope seemed like a mystery that very few people managed to uncover.

The last bunch was the Unova Dexholders' kids. The first one Orange introduced was Black and White's oldest son, thirteen year old Howlite. Howlite sat with his arms crossed over his chest, smiling a devious smirk to no-one in particular. He would occasionally flip his shaggy dark-brown hair, letting the unruly mane tangle more than it already was. His eyes, a coffee brown, were sharp and alert, but I also detected that there was a strong spirit behind them. I normally would have classified him in the annoying popular guy category, but he just had a likeable confidence that made people draw to him.

Black and White's other son was nine year old Hematite. Hematite seemed very gentle, shown by the way he sat quietly with his hands folded on his lap. Whenever spoken to, he would happily lift his brown haired head, eager to start conversation. His eyes were a bold blue, and they had a certain twinkle in them that reminded me of Quartz's. Hematite would occasionally ask his brother things, and when Howlite spoke, Hematite gave him a look of pure adoration. Hematite adored his brother, it was obvious. I liked Hematite also; he seemed like a very sweet kid.

Last introduced were Cheren and Bianca's children, starting with Calvin. Calvin was twelve, but acted like a twenty-one year old. His slick black hair was meticulously styled to imitate his father's. The boy sat with his legs placed firmly together, arms crossed. Occasionally he would glare at me with his small green eyes, making me nervous. I didn't like that a twelve year old could think of himself as superior to me, just because of his father's title. Calvin seemed awfully arrogant, and I hated it.

The last to be introduced was Bella, Calvin's little sister. Bella was the exact opposite of her brother, obvious by the way she smiled at me with kindness and respect. Though she was only seven, she talked with everyone in the group, especially Topaz, who I assumed was her best friend. Bella reminded me so much of Bianca, especially with her blonde bob and orange rimmed glasses. She inherited her father's dark blue eyes, but they were the same large size of her mother's. Bella was a lovely little girl; she was very likeable.

Orange sucked in a deep breath as he finished his final description of the last kid. I patted him on the back teasingly, earning a smirk from him in response. I chuckled to myself, then turned to hopefully join the conversation.

"I think the gift will be Pokédexes, it's obvious," stated Howlite, grinning proudly. Amber rolled her eyes.

"Why would we get Pokédexes if Pokémon are forbidden?" Amber asked, giving Howlite a smirk. Howlite sucked in as if he was about to say something, then released his breath in defeat.

"Point taken."

"Well," Amethyst started, "I think we're getting hats." Everyone froze and stared at her.

"Why the hell would we be getting hats?" Calvin asked, rolling his eyes. I wasn't fond of Calvin, but I was just as dumbstruck as he was.

"I don't know, just watch your language!" Amethyst snapped back.

"Yeah dude, there are children around," Orange teased, sticking his tongue out at Calvin and pulling Topaz close to himself. He then winked at Amethyst, causing her to blush.

"Well, I wouldn't mind a hat," Agate said, patting his hat.

"You already have a hat, silly!" Peridot giggled.

Jade tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I dunno, there's always an opportunity for fashion." Amethyst smiled at that comment and high fived Jade from across the circle.

"Amen, sister!" Amethyst cheered. The boys all rolled their eyes.

"Amethyst, do you really think my dad would bring hats to us?" Granite questioned, a scowl on his lips.

"I guess not…" Amethyst mumbled.

"Whatever Silver has, I think it'll be great!" Hematite cheered enthusiastically. Everyone nodded slowly, just deciding to drop the subject. We all sat in silence for a little while, until the sound of footsteps snapped us out of our daydreams. Approaching was not Silver, but a pretty young woman.

Orange tapped my shoulder. "That's Samantha, she's twenty, and she's the daughter of Bill and Daisy." I recalled reading that Daisy was Green's older sister, and Bill was a man that had met Red and became a close acquaintance of the Holders.

Samantha was very pretty; her gentle features had a way of making you want to stare at her for a long time. Her caramel-brown hair was pulled into a low-hanging wavy ponytail, the rest of her hair curling gently around her face. She had obviously put a lot of time into her hair, not a strand was out of place, and everything was secure with a light blue ribbon. Her eyes were a deep hazel, and they gently noted everything around her with gentleness and love. Samantha's outfit reflected her personality as well, the blue tank top and dark blue skirt were pressed gently; not a wrinkle could be seen. She added a navy blue coat for warmth, or maybe to be conspicuous. Her feet were snug in a pair of blue sandal-heels, boosting her height up an inch or two. She carried a light blue bag, just a simple purse that most women could be seen carrying if they had money. Given her relations to the Pokédex Holders, she definitely had money. You could say I was attracted to Samantha, but I'd rather phrase it as fascinated by her, and wanting to get to know her better.

"Sam!" exclaimed Garnet, standing up excitedly. Everyone stared at him, causing him to blush and quickly sit back down.

"Hi, everyone!" Sam greeted. We all waved at her, the boys looking more nervous than the girls.

"Why are you dressed in those kinds of clothes? Are you traveling?" Peridot asked.

"Actually, yes, I am. My parents have talked it over with the council; I'll be investigating some of Ghetsis' secret Pokémon habitats throughout the region. Maybe we can free them," Sam answered. She was soon bombarded with questions and compliments from the kids.

"Guys, relax, I just came here to say goodbye," Sam said, smiling a sad smile. There were a couple of sad sighs, mostly from Amber, who I just then assumed was very close to Samantha.

"Well, I'll start with my cousins!" Sam announced, going over to hug Zircon, Jade, and Peridot. She soon made her way around the circle, hugging each individual person. Amber squeezed her tightly and whispered something in her ear, causing Sam to giggle and give Amber one of those looks. When she hugged Garnet, I couldn't see his face but I assumed that he loved hugging the girl. I was surprised to notice that Sam blushed a bit when Garnet hugged her; I didn't think that a girl like her would like a younger man. Well, one year isn't that bad, so I dismissed them as a happy couple and let my feelings for Sam go into the friend zone, not that we ever had a chance of anything more.

Sam finally reached Orange and me after hugging Topaz. She hugged Orange tightly, flaunting the sisterly love she had for the boy. I nervously sat behind them, dreading the embarrassment that was sure to follow by being the only one who didn't get a hug. Sam turned towards me and gave me a warm smile.

"And you must be Lyle, Yellow mentioned a lot about you," Sam said. "So here's your hug." I was shocked when Sam gently wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me as nicely as she had to her friends. I hugged back, hoping I didn't seem like a player, but part of me was glad that she was kind enough to hug a complete stranger to make me feel welcome. We pulled apart, and then Sam glanced at my chest.

"Cool necklace," she whispered. I didn't have time to mutter a "thank you" before Garnet cut in.

"So, can we say goodbye to your partner too?" he asked, giving me a glare. I shivered a bit; there was nothing scarier than an angry Garnet.

"Of course!" Sam said, reaching into her bag. My eyes widened at the red and white ball held in her hand. Sam gripped the ball tightly and released the Pokémon that was inside: Ditto.

"You have a Ditto?" I asked, gasping a bit.

"Yep," Sam answered. "My parents found him in the cave, so they gave me a Poké Ball and told me to try and catch it. He's been my partner ever since." Everyone took their turns saying their goodbyes to Ditto, but no-one really wanted to hug the jelly-like creature. Ditto made do by turning into Sam, so he could hug everyone appropriately. It was weird hugging the Ditto Sam, while it looked like a fully functional human, it had a strange feel to it that was kind of like clay; not quiet jelly, but not solid either.

"Well, I'm off!" Sam announced. Everyone waved their final goodbyes, and I noticed that Garnet looked especially sad. However, once Sam disappeared from view, Garnet's face regained its sly smile.

"I'm really gonna miss her," whispered Amber, just loud enough for us to hear. Orange sprang up.

"Don't worry Amber, I…I mean _we_ are still here!" Orange shouted. I raised my eyebrows. Did Orange have a crush on the nineteen year old prankster? I tried to suppress a snicker. Lifting my head, my eyes met Peridot's. She had been staring at Orange and Amber too. Peridot winked at me, and then we smiled at each other, as if we were sharing some kind of inside joke. My gaze shifted over to Zircon, whose eyes were focused directly on me. Once Peridot noticed her brother, she immediately broke her smile and looked at her knees. Zircon glanced at Peridot, who I was surprised to see blushing furiously. I wondered if her brother had embarrassed her.

Then, the anticipated moment arrived. Silver emerged from one of the tents, walking briskly towards us with his sack of "goodies". The atmosphere around the circle changed; everyone straightened in their seats to hopefully receive their gifts. Even I was a bit nervous, maybe it was my supportiveness of my new "friends". Silver walked to the middle of the circle, where I had assumed he would stand at, and positioned himself to deliver the gifts. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

"We are all gathered here today because you, the children of the Dexholders, will be presented with a gift that was given to me by my supplier," Silver started. "I cannot reveal who he is, very few people in this town know, but he is a good man who has graciously given gifts to you so that you may use them and become stronger." I was very interested now, but I was slightly disturbed at Silver's way of announcing things; it sounded like we were at a funeral.

"The gift my supplier has so kindly presented to you is something that you will need to take care of, be responsible for, and train to the best of your abilities," he continued. At those words I knew exactly what Silver had for the kids; it couldn't have been more obvious.

"I will present to you, the eldest of each region that their parents originated from, your very own starter Pokémon!" Silver announced. There was a collection of surprised gasps, then happy cheers. I smirked to myself, proud that I had called it from the beginning that they would be getting Pokémon. My feelings for these kids kept me from feeling too jealous; I was genuinely happy for them. Then a thought struck me. There were three starter Pokémon, so three kids whose parents came from each region would get their Pokémon. Upon counting them, I realized that some of them would be left out. Apparently Orange noticed this too, because his smile quickly faded.

"Silver, there are five of us Kanto kids, but only three starter Pokémon," Orange said, a look of panic in his eyes.

"The oldest of each region will get the Pokémon, so you figure it out," Silver replied. The Kanto kids looked at each other, and it was then that I realized that Peridot and Topaz wouldn't be getting a Pokémon.

"Peridot, I'm so sorry," Orange whispered. Peridot shook her head.

"Don't be, it's fine, really," she said, but I could tell from her shaky voice that she was devastated.

"Actually, since Jade and Peridot are twins, they will both be receiving a starter," Silver stated. Orange gasped.

"Then what about me?" he asked.

"You won't be getting a starter," Silver answered simply. Orange was outraged.

"W-why not? It's not fair!" he whined. Peridot stepped forward and opened her mouth, maybe to tell Orange he could have her pick, when Silver stopped her.

"Relax, Orange, I said you wouldn't be getting a starter, I didn't say you wouldn't be getting a Pokémon. My supplier found the whole twin issue to be unfair, so he picked a special one for you," Silver said. I personally wouldn't have liked having my Pokémon picked for me, but Orange didn't seem to care.

"Let me see!" he shouted. Silver rolled his eyes and opened the bag, picking one of the Poké Balls. He handed it to Orange, who took it gratefully. Orange released the contents of the ball, and out came a small mouse-like Pokémon: Pikachu.

"A Pikachu!" Orange cheered. Everyone stared longingly at Orange's new partner.

"Not just any Pikachu," Silver said. "That one's shiny. Can't you tell? It's an orange color and has occasional 'sparkles' coming off of it. It was extremely rare even before Pokémon were taken." Everyone gazed in wonder at Orange's ultra-rare Pokémon.

"Now, Zircon, Jade, and Peridot may pick their Pokémon," Silver announced. He released the Kanto starter Pokémon from their balls: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. The threesome huddled together and very briefly discussed which they would choose. They made up their minds quickly, and then Zircon, the eldest, stepped up first.

"I'll take Charmander," he said. Zircon grabbed its ball and Charmander followed him to his seat. Next was Jade's pick.

"I'll take Bulbasaur!" she squealed, grabbing the ball and hugging her new Pokémon. After they made their way to their seat, Peridot chose the last one.

"It looks like Squirtle is mine," she said, smiling as she welcomed the new Pokémon to her seat. Silver then released the Johto starters: Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. Amber, Granite, and Marble huddled together, but it didn't last very long. They all obviously knew what they wanted, so Amber stepped up first.

"I'll have Cyndaquil," she announced, excitedly gripping her new friend. Amber and Cyndaquil gave each other mischievous grins, which made my blood curdle yet again at the thought of what Amber could accomplish with a partner-in-crime. Granite stepped up next.

"I pick Totodile, like you, Dad," he said. Silver proudly patted his son on the head, causing Granite to grin brightly as he took his new Pokémon to his seat. Last to pick was little Marble.

"I want Chikorita, 'cause it's so cute!" she giggled. Her dad patted her head too, making her squeal with delight. She waved her Poké Ball towards her mother, who was watching at a distance. Crystal gave her a proud thumbs-up. Next released was the Hoenn Pokémon: Treeko, Torchic, and Mudkip. The three siblings huddled together, and while there was a bit of arguing, everyone eventually made a choice.

"I choose Treeko!" announced Garnet. He happily escorted his Pokémon back to his seat while Amethyst went to the center.

"I want Mudkip!" she cheered, grabbing the Pokémon and snuggling with it. Agate came last.

"And I'll have Torchic," he said. The Hoenn kids looked happy with their choices, so Silver prepared the Sinnoh Pokémon: Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup. The Sinnoh kids didn't even need to talk; they had already mentally decided which Pokémon they wanted.

"I'll take Chimchar," Pyrope muttered, earning a cheer from his father. Everyone giggled, then Opal approached Silver.

"I will choose Piplup," Opal announced. She properly marched back to her seat, gently prodding a crumb covered Quartz to do the same.

"I want Turtwig!" cheered Quartz, happily grabbing his new friend. The final moment of truth came as Silver unveiled the Unova Pokémon: Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott. The three boys huddled together to talk, and I noticed Bella pouting behind them. Sad, she and Topaz didn't get a Pokémon, but thank Arceus that they were nice girls. The boys finally made their decisions, starting with Howlite.

"I'm going with Oshawott!" he announced, happily grabbing his Poké Ball. Hematite stepped up next.

"I will have Tepig," Hematite said, smiling graciously. As he made his way back to his seat, Calvin stepped to the center.

"My choice is Snivy," Calvin muttered, hastily taking his Pokémon away, ending this little ceremony.

"Now remember, this is a very serious gift. Treat your Pokémon right, and be very careful not to get caught with them. If anything foolish occurs, they will be taken from you. Understood?" Silver challenged, giving the kids a hard look. Everyone nodded quickly. Silver sighed.

"You are dismissed." Everyone scampered away, so Orange pulled me over to meet his Pikachu. I held out my hand for it to sniff, and it surprisingly nuzzled against me.

"Hey, he likes you!" Orange cheered. I chuckled.

"I guess it does," I replied. Just then, Silver made his way over to us.

"Orange, do you mind if I speak with Lyle in private?" Silver asked. Orange nodded and scampered away, Pikachu close behind. Silver motioned for me to walk with him, which I did.

"Yellow and my wife have told me a lot about you, Lyle. You seem like a capable young man." As he said this, I noticed Silver looking at my necklace. He quickly picked up his head to look me in the eyes.

"I needed to talk to you because of something interesting that was found in the cave," he said.

"What was it?" I asked curiously.

"A wild Pokémon. And I want you to catch it," Silver stated simply. I was dumbstruck.

"But I don't know how to catch a Pokémon!" I said, a bit scared. Silver handed me a Poké Ball.

"You throw this and hope you catch it. Simple."

* * *

Silver lead me to an area very deep in the cave, so isolated the silence seemed unearthly. He briefly explained that without a Pokémon of my own to weaken this new creature, I'd have to earn its trust so it would willingly stay in the ball. I wasn't so sure if this was going to be a success, but I decided to trust Silver and just go with it. We finally reached a rocky area that had small clumps of grass growing here and there, surprising me. Then, out of nowhere, a little tuft of fur sprang up from behind one of the rocks.

"What was that?" I asked frantically. Silver smirked.

"That was your target, an Eevee," he said.

"You brought me here to catch an Eevee?" I questioned, confused.

"Yes, I did, now get to work!" Silver said, turning to walk away. I was about to freak out and ask why he was leaving me alone with a Pokémon, but I just dropped the subject and sighed. The Eevee peaked out at me from behind a rock.

"Um, hi little guy," I whispered, grabbing a tuft of grass. I offered it to it slowly, hoping that I wouldn't get bitten or mauled. Much to my surprise, it approached me. Cautiously, it sniffed the grass, and then took a quick bite. It giggled, springing around on rocks to show me how happy it was. I was surprised; I didn't think that earning its trust would be so easy.

The Eevee pranced around the clearing, hopping and singing a little tune. It was absolutely adorable, and if it makes me seem wimpy, then too bad. I decided to talk to it, maybe so I could catch it.

"Eevee, um, would you mind being my partner? And friend?" I asked, twirling the ball on my fingers. It studied me intensely, understanding every word. The Eevee walked in front of me, gave me a small smile, and then just sat there. I took that as my cue to throw the ball. I inhaled nervously; I only had one chance to catch it. Mustering all of my courage, I threw the ball.

It sucked the Eevee inside, and then snapped closed. The ball shook once, twice, three times, and then it clicked. I had somehow managed to successfully catch a Pokémon just by gaining its trust. Weird.

Silver then approached from deep in the cave, a look of pure awe on his face.

"You just caught an Eevee without using a Pokémon in under five minutes. Do you have any idea how great that was?" he asked in disbelief. I shrugged.

"I guess I just have a way with Pokémon," I muttered.

"That's an understatement." Silver chuckled. "We'd better get back, come on." As we walked back, Silver revealed that my Eevee was a female. I couldn't stop staring at the small ball in my hand, housing my new partner. It was just amazing, and I loved every bit of being a trainer, even though it had just started.

* * *

That night, I showed everyone my new Pokémon, recalling the tale as dramatically as I could. I got looks of adoration from them, which pleased me greatly. I usually don't ask to be the center of attention, but I enjoyed showing these kids that us lower class people can accomplish things too. We all talked for a long time, until it was almost as late as we had woken up the previous morning. Orange and I went back to his tent, so I assumed we were preparing for bed. Apparently, Orange had other ideas.

"Lyle, we need to leave," Orange stated simply.

"Leave? Why?" I asked tiredly.

"We have Pokémon now, we can make a difference!" Orange said cheerfully. "We can fight!"

"Isn't this a bit sudden? Just wanting to go off like this?" I questioned, wondering if this was Orange's tiredness talking.

"Trust me, around here, it's normal for people to leave," he whispered. "I agree that it's sudden, but we're ready. So will you please come with me, to travel to the Unova region and fight Ghetsis?"

This was too sudden. Too crazy. Too Unrealistic. Orange was nuts, thinking that we could just go out with our barely trained Pokémon and make our way across the world to face the biggest evil of our generation. It was absolutely insane. But apparently, so was I.

"I'm in."

* * *

**A/N: Another cliffhanger? How could I? Haha, sorry about that, but I thought it would be a cool way to end the second chapter. The next chapter will get interesting, since it will be Orange and Lyle's first day away from home. **

**Please review, and constructive criticism is always accepted, as well as everything else! ^.^**


End file.
